


So Says I

by wildseafairies



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Best Friends
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-06
Updated: 2015-11-07
Packaged: 2018-04-30 05:51:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5152703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wildseafairies/pseuds/wildseafairies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After 9 years away, Emma comes back to Storybrooke for a well-deserved summer vacation. Everything was sailing smoothly, until she realizes that the first teenager her brother befriends in that cursed town is related to someone she thought she would never see again. </p><p> </p><p>CS modern AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

« Really, kid? Ugh. »

She got out of the car with an exasperated sigh, than paced a few more minutes on the side of the road, her patience decreasing with each step she was taking. She tried her brother’s cell once more. No answer. All right, that was it. She walked up the alley of hydrangeas and knocked twice on the door. Then she turned around, hands on her hips as she was admiring the view. _Damn_. The people living there sure were lucky. 

She heard the door behind her swung open, and as she turned to meet the host, a voice she thought she would never hear again spoke:

« Hi, sorry, the boys are on their way, you… »

The voice trailed off as their eyes met. Her heart sunk at the bottom of her feet, probably in her heels or something.

He was older now, obviously. And taller, just a little. His hair were cut shorter. Good. She never did like his hair long. Any trace of the remaining childhood that she might remember had been erased: his jawline, covered with a designer stubble, was sharper, and so were his cheekbones (one of them, the right one, still had the scar). He wasn’t a boy anymore. Although, his blue eyes had the same subtle light of mischief, and his half-crooked smile, which was quickly fading as he was recognizing her, was the same.

Shock was now painting over his face, as she examined him, and he her. She felt numb herself, as if she had been slapped in the face with a book. Repeatedly. After what appeared to be an eternity of awkward silence, he mumbled her name, his voice hoarse:

« Swan? »

 _God_. She tucked her hair nervously behind her ear, avoiding his gaze. She just wanted to be buried six feet under.

«I- I’m here to pick up my brother. Apparently.» she said, mouth dry.

She couldn’t help but stare at him under her eyelashes, and his gaze, also fixed on her, made her feel uneasy. She was going to be sick any moment now. She needed to leave this place, _now_.

A frown appeared between his brows.

« Can you call him now please, we need to leave. »

« Sure. » he nodded.

But he didn’t flinch.

« While we’re both still young…? »

He blinked a few times.

« Killian, can you please get my brother? »

She was running out of patience, now. And there was no way she was going to throw up on Killian Jones’ s doorstep. No freaking way.

« Sorry... I’ll go fetch them now. »

« Thank you. »

« Hum… You…You wanna come in? »

« I’m good here, thanks. »

He nodded, and quickly disappeared behind the door. Emma let out a long breath she didn’t recall holding. Her thoughts were all over the place, and she was sweating like a sinner in church at this point. What the hell was happening here? How did this happen? How was it that the first teenager her brother befriends as soon as they move back in that _cursed_ _town_ is related to Killian Jones? _How was this possible?_

Loud footsteps and giggles reached her ear, bringing her back to the present situation. Her baby brother, backpack hanging on his shoulders, waved.

« Hey Em’. »

She tried to smile. « Hey kiddo. »

« So hum, this is my sister, Emma. Em', this is Vincent. »

Emma looked at the young boy and tried to keep a composed face. But damn, that was hard. He _had_ to be his son. There was no other way. Because of course, thirteen years old Vincent was basically a doppelgänger of Killian around the same age. Same blue eyes (behind a pair of round glasses), same dimples, same jet black hair (only a curly version of Killian's). She would have seen that kid in the first place, she would have made the damn connection a long time ago. (And she would never have let Henry near him.) 

But wait... _thirteen years old_? She did the maths. This made absolutely no sense. 

« And you've met his uncle, Killian. »

« Oh. » was all she managed to say at first. « Yeah...We've...met.»

 _Uncle_? Right. Liam’s son. Ok, that made a lot more sense. This time, she had to blink a few times before coming back to reality. Needing support, she put a protective arm around Henry's shoulders. 

« Ok, kiddo, let’s go now. » she said. « Say thank you and goodbye. »

« Yeah, thanks. I guess I'll see you tomorrow! »

She froze.

« Sorry, hum...What's-what’s tomorrow? »

She frowned at Killian, who winced and scratched a spot behind his left ear. But her brother answered before he got a chance:

« Killian has a boat. He’s teaching us how to sail. »

Oh, _hell no_.

« …if that’s okay with you, that is. » Stupid Killian added.

Oh oh, _no freaking way_.

« Henry, say bye-bye and go wait in the car. »

Her brother obeyed and after Vincent was asked something similar by his uncle, the boy disappeared inside the house. Emma crossed her arms over her chest.

« Ok now, listen closely, _mate_. » She mocked. « See that kid back there? Well, _I’m_ in charge of him, and I’m telling you there’s no way he’s going anywhere with you. »

The half-crooked smile was back and she was hating it.

« Is it because you're concerned for his safety? »

_Seriously?_

« What? Of course I’m concerned for his safety! » she snapped. 

« Than you have nothing to fear. »

« Right. » She smiled. « Because he’s not going. Goodbye, Killian. »

She reached for her keys inside her jeans pocket and started making her way back to her yellow Bug, anger rising underneath.

« You're welcome to join us, you know? »

She stopped dead on her tracks. Who was he kidding? She turned to look at him. He was leaning casually against the doorframe, mischief in his eyes. God, _what a jerk_.

« Sorry, but I don’t sail with pirates. »

 


	2. Chapter 2

Emma set her keys down on the counter beside the door and took off her boots with relief.

They busied themselves with their summer evening routine (dinner and a movie). It was usually quiet, Emma and Henry getting along exceptionnally well for siblings (a thirteen years age difference would do that, she supposed), and tonight was no exception. When 11pm hit, after the ritual good night peck to his sister, Henry went straight to his room. She waited until she could hear the door of his room click and then went straight for the open bottle of white wine set in the fridge. She didn’t even bother using a glass and just took a long sip on her way to the patio, grabbing the duvet on her way. With a long sigh, she let her body down on the steps leading to the moonlit garden. 

They should have gone to California. Or Florida. Orlando would have been nice... But no, they had to come back home. How she got that idea, she would never know. Mind you, she hadn't really thought of herself at the time. She had thought it would be better for Henry. She had hoped it would make him feel more connected to their parents —or rather, the memory of their parents. She knew he missed them. She knew he was growing up and she knew they were starting to fade in his memory (it had been 5 years after all, and Henry was so young when it happened).

Even if the life they had made for themselves in New York was pretty good, she also knew it was easy to lose oneself in the big city life they were living. She had figured it would do him good to go back, just for the summer. Now, here, at _home_ , things were different. They had the house here, standing still, more or less in the same state as they had left it, monumental embodiment of a large part of their memories. They had friends here —family friends, people who knew them, who had known their parents, who where actually able to bring their memories back to life again. They had each other, too. 

But after tonight, she wasn't so sure that coming back to Storybrooke was such a great idea. 

Her phone buzzed with an incoming text. The tag read "Elsa". She tapped the screen.

**How's your summer goin'?**

Emma sipped on her wine, grinning. It was like the woman had a sixth sense or something.

Well, let's see. It had been only a few days and it had been going just fine. Henry was loving it, as far as she could tell. Emma herself had been feeling more relaxed than she'd been for at least the past two years. (It was a well deserved break from work, too.) Henry and her were having fun, visiting the town, spotting what was new and what hadn't change for the past five years. Taking strolls along the beach, passing the castle Henry used to play in when he was little. Having dinner at Granny's, who was having the time of her life embarrassing Henry with stories about when she used to babysit him, while Emma was catching up with Mary Margaret, her best friend from high school (who was engaged, mind you). Tidying up the old house, and reminiscing their parents and their childhood memories. It was all good. 

Until tonight.

Judy Garland's _"The Man That Got Away"_ was coming from the TV still on in the living-room, and Emma bursted out a laugh, nearly spilling her wine all over her lap. You had to appreciate the irony. 

*******

Emma pushed the glass door of Granny's, wincing at the jingling of the bells. Yeah, no, that noise was definitely not good after the night she had. When will she learn from her mistakes? White wine gives her migraines. _Do not_ drink an entire bottle by yourself, period. 

Thank God, the diner in itself was relatively quiet, for a Monday morning. Ruby Lucas, Granny's fiery granddaughter, who was a few years younger than Emma, was pouring coffee to a customer sat in the corner booth when she spotted the blonde. 

« Hey there! » she greeted, red lips stretching in a warm smile. « Two days in a row, really? I’m a lucky gal’! » 

Emma waved and went to sit at the counter, resisting the urge to rest her head down on the cold surface. 

« Usual? » Ruby inquired, appearing in front of Emma in a whirl of red. 

That meant cocoa and cinnamon. Emma grimaced. 

« Uh-uh, nope. Real coffee this morning. In an IV, if possible. »

« Rough night? » Ruby asked with a sympathetic pout, pouring steaming coffee into a cup.  

« You could say that. » 

After her third cup, Emma could feel herself coming back to life. Granny neglected the kitchen for a moment to come and chat with her, and Emma managed to form full sentences. She ordered chocolate-frosted donuts to take away for Henry and while she waited, she reviewed in her mind the activities she was going to suggest to Henry for today. Would he enjoy a hike? The forest was the only place they hadn't had time to explore since they arrived in town. And the weather was nice... But like Granny said, it was also the beginning of the summer solstice festival, that would be nice too... 

Ruby placed the pink box full of pastries in front of her and that stopped her wanderings. It was time to go, the diner was getting noisier anyway, and her head still hurt a little. She greeted the Lucas women with a warm smile, promising to say hi to her brother for them. She was almost at the door when she collided with someone coming in, and she was almost throw off her balance. She swore between her teeth, and so did the human obstacle:

« Bloody hell... »

_Oh no._

She didn't even have to look to know who it was. 

« Oh... Swan. It's you. »

« Sorry, I wasn't looking. » She apologized quickly, eyes darted to her shoes. 

She wouldn't look at him. 

« No, no, it's my fault. I apologize...»

« That's okay. » 

She contourned him and got the hell out of there. She walked with her head down, and almost bumped into someone else in the alley, and her mood then darkened. Also, the three cups of coffee were not helping with her nerves. 

Of course they would bump into each other! How did she not think of that? It was simply not realistic! This was a small town, everyone went to Granny's at some point in the course of their day...And even if they didn't, it was a really small town. Ugh. This vacation was turning into a nightmare. She had to figure out something.

Fast. 

*******

Back at the house, she found Henry playing video games in the living room, like "every teenager in the world, Em', seriously, chill". He barely responded to her greeting, meaning that he didn't have breakfast yet, but pressed "pause" as soon as she brandished the pink box under his nose. He followed her to the kitchen, yawning. She started out the coffee machine, but reconsidered quickly, thinking about her poor nerves. She settled for orange juice instead. They sat down at the kitchen table and she frowned when she realized that contrary to his habit, her brother wasn't in his pyjamas. 

« Wow! » she commented. « You're dressed before 10? That's a first. » 

« I'm going out today, remember? » 

« Uh, are you? »

« I'm going sailing. » He said, matter-of-factly. « With Vincent and Killian? Remember? »

 _Dammit._  She forgot about that. She tried to gain time: 

« Well... Did you run it by me before? »  

« Can I go sailing with Vincent and Killian? » 

« No. »

Ignoring the disappointment on her brother's face, she gulped down her orange juice and started cleaning out the table, dumping the dishes into the sink, ignoring the dishwasher stashed under the draining board. She needed to occupy her hands. 

« Seriously? »

« Seriously. »

« Emma, come on! That's not fair! »

She brushed a plate a little too harder and hurt her finger. She winced, but kept on going. 

« Henry, you just met them. »

« Yeah, well, breaking news: that's how you make friends! » 

She closed the running tap, and sighed, shutting her eyes. 

« Yeah well, I'm not gonna let you run around on a sailing boat with people you barely know. »

« But you know Killian! »

She made a sudden about-turn, taken aback. _How did he know?_

Henry had his "you're being unfair, why don't you let me do what I want" face on, his brows furrowed, cheeks coloring red with aggravation. 

« What- How the hell... »

« You've met him last night! »

« I...» she babbled, avoiding his gaze. « Well...»

 _Wow_ , well done there, Emma. Very articulate.  

« Then what's the problem? » 

« That's... exactly the problem! » she snapped. « I met him _last night_. And you want me to let you go on a boat with a guy you and I met _yesterday_? Now, enough. I said you're not going, you're not going! »

At that, Henry stormed out the kitchen like any normally constituted teenager would. 

 


	3. Chapter 3

« I just hate fighting with him. » Emma sighed. « And we never fight! »

She adjusted the phone with her shoulder as she was trying not to spill the bottle of purple nail polish on the beige carpeted floor. (A risky business when you're contorted like a pretzel like she was just now.)

« He’s a teenager. » Elsa reasoned, her voice distant in the flat device against her ear. « It was only a matter of time, really. »

« Still. He hasn't left his room since. Should I be worried? »

Obviously, the disagreement she and her brother had earlier, but also the weather (rain had started pouring an hour ago), completely thrown off her plans for the day. Fighting with Henry was definitely a first and Emma was not sure how to handle the whole thing. She had decided to give him his space, let him sulk in peace. She needed to occupy herself in the meantime though, hence the call to Elsa. She didn't go into details (she didn't mention Killian Jones, for example, that would put her friend too much in a frenzy), but she needed to hear a friendly voice. 

« I don’t think so. » Elsa replied. « He knows you’re crazy. He’ll understand. »

« Ha, ha. »

The two friends kept chatting for a bit, about everything and nothing, while Emma let her nail polish dry, curling and uncurling her toes as she laid flat down on the carpet. Once the conversation was over, Emma abandoned the phone on the floor, and let out a long sigh.

Her arm hurt because she had been holding the damn thing for too long against her ear. With another sigh, she stared at the ceiling without really seeing it, her heart heavy with guilt. She couldn’t believe she had lied straight to her brother’s face. She never lied to him. When her parents died, she had made a promise to herself, and today, she felt like she had broken it. Shame added itself to the complicated mix of feelings that were bubbling inside her. 

All of a sudden, she propped herself back on her feet, and went up the stairs, knocked on Henry’s door twice and waited. No answer.

« Hey, kid, I was gonna make some pancakes. Want some? »

Silence. Ok, this was getting ridiculous. 

« Henry, come on, you can’t stay mad at me for- »

The end of her sentence got stuck in her throat as she opened the door. The room was empty, the window, open. She called out his name, her heart racing with panic. She went to look in the other rooms, cursing under her breath. But her brother was nowhere to be found in the house. She raced back to his room, checking for clues. His backpack was gone, but she flailed around a little, panic shortening her breath, when she realized he had left his phone in evidence on his desk (no phone meant no way to track him via GPS). She regained her composure quickly, breathed in, and out. Panicking would lead absolutely nowhere. She had been a teenager, once. She knew her brother. She would find him.

She grabbed her keys downstairs, dialing Granny’s at the same time.

« Granny’s Diner, Ruby speaking. »

« Yeah, Ruby, hi, it’s Emma. »

The doorbell chimed, making Emma cringe.

« Listen, it’s important. Did Henry come by this morning? »

She opened the door, and froze.

In her ear, Ruby replied with a concerned « No, why? », but she quickly dismissed her, telling the girl not to worry. She pressed the red button on her phone without even looking at it. Relief took over the crippling anxiety she was feeling since she had realized here brother was missing. On her doorstep was Henry, escorted by none other than… Killian Jones.

« Hello again, Swan. » He greeted her, an apologetic smile stretching his lips. « I believe we had a little bit of a misunderstanding here? »

Her jaw clenched, and she shot a severe look at Henry, but her brother was looking anywhere but at her. _Wise decision_.

« It appears so. »

She didn’t bother to scold him, simply told him to go to inside and once he obeyed, making sure not to make eye contact with her, she stepped outside and closed the door behind her. A truck was parked down the alley and she recognized Vincent on the passenger seat. It wasn’t raining anymore, but the sky was still heavy and grey. It was as if the weather was trying to match her mood.

Anger was rising underneath ; she was angry at herself, but also at the man in the kaki raincoat in front of her.

She couldn’t believe it. Everything was going perfectly fine for them. The summer promised to be a good one. Until last night. Seriously, it had taken one encounter with Killian fucking Jones for her life to fall apart. Less than 24 hours later, and she was already lying to her brother, fighting with him and, cherries on top, losing him! How was that possible?

She crossed her arms on her chest, waiting for him to explain himself. She watched him scratch his right ear. He was clearly uncomfortable.

 _Good_.

He cleared his throat. « So I was right then. »

She stayed silent, seething.

« The lad showed up at the docks this morning, but after the conversation with had yesterday, I figured… I figured something was off so… »

« You figured right. » She said dryly. « Thanks for bringing him back. »

He dug his hands in the pockets of his jacket, and nodded.

« Listen… don’t blame the lad. » He declared. « He just -»

« My brother is none of your business. » She cut, her voice as sharp as glass. « Stay away from him, stay away from me, and everything will be fine. »

She turned around and walked away from him, the same way she had done so many times before.

**Author's Note:**

> Ok people, I have no idea where I'm going with this, but stick with me, it's gonna be a good one. (I hope.)


End file.
